Jill Lepore

Stages of life are artifacts. Adolescence is a useful contrivance, midlife is a moving target, senior citizens are an interest group, and tweenhood is just plain made up.

The idea of progress - the notion that human history is the history of human betterment - dominated the world view of the West between the Enlightenment and the First World War.

Accepting money from the federal government to conduct research places academic inquiry in the service of national interests.

Well, I actually wrote her a letter a couple of days ago congratulating her. The tone I tried to convey in the letter is, look, you are a part of a great American historical process.

I'm a big action junkie. I grew up on the '80s action movies - the bad ones and the good ones.

I'm a big action junkie. I grew up on the '80s action movies - the bad ones and the good ones.